


In the City That Never Sleeps

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Missing Scene, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-03
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 07:41:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/910642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I haven’t spent my entire Bureau career behind a desk but if people choose to believe that then let them.  If I crumbled because of what others thought of me, I’d be dust and bones by now.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the City That Never Sleeps

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS FOR THE BROTHERS HOTCHNER! This is just another angle on Erin not dying in the finale.

“I appreciate the ride.” Erin said, sliding her seatbelt across her chest and strapping in as Alex pulled the SUV to the end of the precinct parking lot.

“It’s really not a problem. We’re both going to the same place. There's no point in wasting gas.”

“I would’ve waited for David…Agent Rossi.” The Section Chief cleared her throat. “I'm sure he wouldn’t have minded dropping me off.”

“Did I interrupt something I shouldn’t have?” Alex asked, glancing at her boss.

“If you call bickering about what radio station to listen to until you're back at the hotel and haven’t heard a single song something then you just ruined the highlight of my evening, Agent Blake.”

“You and Dave have known each other a long time.”

“I just like to say forever so I won't have to do the math.” Erin replied.

“I have to tell you how astounded I've been with the level of your field work since we arrived in New York.” Alex said. “I don’t mean in the least to sound condescending but I always pictured you as…”

“A desk jockey.” Erin finished her sentence.

“Those weren’t the words I wanted to use.” The brunette shook her head.

“Oh. Well maybe a pencil pusher, bureaucrat bitch, or a diva wrapped in red tape. I only heard that one once but I was impressed the man could string together sentences so…” Erin smiled some. “Alex, we’re both adults and have known each other for some time. 

“There's no need to mince words. There never has been and never will be. I can handle it. I haven’t spent my entire Bureau career behind a desk but if people choose to believe that then let them. If I crumbled because of what others thought of me, I’d be dust and bones by now.”

Alex nodded but didn’t reply. The cell phone in Erin’s Coach Bag pinged and she reached for it. The text message envelope rotated; she touched it to open.

‘ _Are you naked? Are the bubbles up to your chin_?’ –David

‘ _I'm still in the car with Alex. Manhattan traffic is worse than DC_.’ –Erin

‘ _You'll be naked soon I hope_.’ –David

‘ _And I'm sure you and Aaron will find some way to sit around and pontificate about this case for hours. I may have to take sexual matters into my own hands_.’ –Erin

‘ _Tell me where you’d touch and how it makes you feel_.’ –David

‘ _If you want to know then get back to our hotel room at a decent hour_.’ –Erin

She dropped the phone back into her purse and looked at Alex. The SUV was stopped at a red light.

“Is everything alright?” Blake asked. “Was that about the case?”

“No, it was personal. I really appreciate you giving me a ride, Alex.”

“You said so earlier.”

“I know we’ll never be friends, and that’s alright, but moving past some of the things that happened is important to me.”

“Why?” Alex asked. 

She really wanted to know, didn’t want to just make Erin uncomfortable or see her squirm. She wondered why the Section Chief came to her to make amends. Did she blame Erin for what happened a decade ago? Yes. 

It wasn’t completely her show, surely there were others involved, but Erin was their case supervisor and she handed down the sentences when things went south. Alex always believed she never fought for them because it was the team or Strauss. Of course she would save her own neck. She hadn’t gotten as far as she did in the Bureau by lending someone a hand when they were down.

“Because what happened wasn’t quite the fault of either one of us.” Erin replied. “We were involved in a huge case and it went wrong. People got blamed, people had to hand down punishment, and it surely seemed to many that I didn’t go to bat for the team. 

“I don’t know if it even matters now and I don’t know if the memories aren't tainted by my own subjective human nature. But there aren't many women in the Bureau like us. That doesn’t mean we have to be friends, as I said, but you have to know how much I respect you and all you’ve done as an agent. A lot of people might have given up after what happened but you never did.”

“Quitting is for quitters, that’s what my mother always told me. This job is all that I've wanted and more. It wasn’t as if the past 10 years in the Bureau have been horrendous, even with the setback. But I probably would’ve had your job by now if the ladder wasn’t kicked out from under me. Part of me feels like that scared you so you made sure to put me in a place where that would never happen.”

“I wouldn’t do something like that.” Erin said. “Do you think it’s pleasant being surrounded by sexist idiots all day long who still live in dark ages? I can't believe that people can still breathe and think the way some of those men do. It'd be good to have another woman there, not just because she's a woman but because she knows the job inside and out.”

“I feel lucky to have an opportunity to work side by side now with agents like Rossi and Morgan in the BAU.” Alex said. “I doubt I would ever be happy punching and kicking and getting in bed with political agendas.”

“It’s dirty work but I do it for the BAU. Everything from toilet paper to tablets is for my agents. It’s never been easy but still such a gratifying experience.”

“I'm content working in a place where every day I still find something fascinating about the job.”

“I'm not finding the Replicator case so fascinating.” Erin said.

“This is the fourth time, to my knowledge, that someone on this team has been specifically targeted by an Unsub. The odds of it even happening once are a million to one.”

“I have enough problems.” Erin shook her head. “Let us not do math.”

“I'm sorry.”

“We need to find out who’s responsible for this. People have lost their lives because of a vendetta. We don’t even know what the vendetta is.”

“The Director sat us out.” Alex said.

“Not all of us.”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s not a good idea to talk about this.” Erin replied. “I brought it up and I'm sorry. The case we’re working on is insane enough. Let’s not add the Replicator to the equation.”

“Somehow we've gone full circle back to math again.”

Alex had been thinking about the case a lot lately. He hadn’t made a move in a while but she could feel that something was coming. Sometimes the thoughts and worries kept her up at night. A case like this, one keeping the team busy non-stop, was the perfect time for him to strike. They nearly had in their grasp in Philly but it didn’t work out. As long as he was out there, dormant or not, the entire BAU was in danger.

“You're thinking hard about something.” Erin said.

“I'm trying not to.”

“What do you do to relax, Alex? I know what this job can take out of you.”

“There isn’t much time to relax these days. We’re on the jet, we’re in another city; chasing another Unsub. But I have the rest of the night off. I'm going to microwave some popcorn, break into the minibar, put on Lifetime, and call my husband. We’re working with reversed roles right now.”

“How do you mean?” Erin asked as they finally turned into the underground parking for the Midtown Comfort Inn.

“He's at home in Virginia for a while and I'm out in the field.” Alex replied. “James can't sit still for long though. He's already volunteering his time at a free family clinic in DC. A friend of his from Johns Hopkins started it about 10 years ago.”

“A husband who can't sit still. Yeah,” Erin nodded. “I know a little something about that.”

***

Dave got off the elevator on the seventh floor, cell phone to his ear, as her voicemail picked up.

‘ _You’ve reached Erin Strauss. Please leave a detailed message; thank you_.’ **BEEP!**

“Hey you, I got your last text. I texted you back twice and this is my second phone call but you're not picking up. I hope you just fell asleep and you're not in there plotting my demise.” He was digging into his pocket for the key card to the room as he held up his phone and made sure his go bag stayed on his shoulder. “I'm on my way to you and I apologize.”

Dave hung up and slipped the card into the door. The green light came on and he went inside. There was only one small lamp lighting the room but he could see everything. The radio played Erin’s iPod; Diana Krall sang _A Case of You_. His wife was curled on the bed asleep on top of the covers. 

Dave couldn’t help but smile when he saw her there. Erin always looked beautiful when she slept. She was wearing a purple silk nightgown and a pair of purple, peep toe high heels. He didn’t even need to look at the bottom to know they were Prada. High heels were one of Dave’s things; his wife knew that about him. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked at him.

“When inconsiderate husbands happen to put upon wives.” She mumbled, covering her mouth as she yawned.

“Any excuse I could give would be just that.” He said.

“I bought new shoes.” Erin held up her foot.

“I see that baby…they're quite lovely. So is the nightgown.”

“I thought you were coming in earlier.” She sat up and started to pull the pins out of her hair. “I thought I heard someone fidgeting with the knob. I went over and looked out of the peephole but no one was there. That’s one of the things I hate about hotels.”

“What's that?” Dave put his bag down and began to shed his clothes.

“Maybe I've seen _The Shining_ one too many times but they're just so anonymous. So many lives have passed through these walls…so many deaths. Someone could come in, murder you, and housekeeping wouldn’t find you for two days.”

“This is a quality place,” he said. “They'd find you in the morning.”

“That’s not comforting, David.”

“You look so damn beautiful.”

“You want me to forgive you and let you into bed, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Dave nodded.

“You want to seduce me with your charm and your goatee.” She grinned.

“The thought crossed my mind.”

“I should make you sleep with Aaron Hotchner.”

“He's at Beth’s place tonight. That could get awkward.”

Erin sighed, kicking off her heels. She pulled the covers back and slipped under them.

“I'm not wearing the heels. You missed the boat on that one, mister.”

Dave understood; he would survive. He got into bed with his wife and wrapped his arms around her. Erin was tense but it only took a few moments to melt against him. He kissed her. She caressed his face, deepening the kiss.

“I love you.” He whispered.

“Mmm, love you too.”

“How was your bath?” Dave kissed her neck and throat. He pushed the strap of her nightgown down, gently biting her shoulder.

“It was quite relaxing. It would’ve been lovely if you were there to wash my back.” She slid her leg up his, shivering at the electricity that their bodies always caused.

“I'm here now baby. I say we make the best of it.”

“Tell me what you had in mind.” Erin smiled.

“Well, as lovely as this nightgown is,” Dave’s hands caressed her hips, smiling when he realized there was nothing but skin underneath that silk. “I would like to start by taking it off.”

“I want you naked first. Lead by example, Agent Rossi.”

Dave had no problem with that. He quickly got rid of his tee shirt and was pushing down his boxers when his cell phone buzzed. It was on the table beside the bed, vibrating so much it nearly fell on the floor. He didn’t want to answer it but that was his work phone. If someone was calling him at this hour then ignoring it wasn’t an option. His wife groaned and he pulled her close as he reached for it.

“Hotch?”

“I just got a call from Garcia. The Replicator hacked into her system and things at Quantico have gone completely awry. Then DC police found the bodies of a couple the trunk of a car in Anacostia.”

“Is Penelope alright?” Dave asked.

“She's shaken up of course but Kevin is with her and they're trying to get everything back online.”

“Are the bodies connected to our case here?”

“No. It’s an exact replication of the case we had in Detroit about a month ago. The Deputy Director wants us on a plane home now.”

“Now?”

Before Hotch could answer him, Erin’s cell phone rang. She looked at her husband and knew from his one-sided conversation that something was terribly wrong. Turning over in bed, she grabbed the phone and saw the name on the display.

“Good evening, Mr. Deputy Director.”

“It was a few hours ago.” Kirk said. “We need the team home; the Replicator just committed another crime.”

“Are they sure it’s him?” Erin asked.

“In the trunk where they found the bodies they also found a tablet. On it was a video of Alex Blake teaching one of her classes at Georgetown.”

“Yeah…that’s him alright.”

“Wheels up in an hour, Erin. I've already called the air strip and notified them that we’re flying out tonight. This crime scene is fresh. This is our chance to catch him.”

Erin didn’t bother to mention that the scene in Pittsburgh was fresh too. Forensics hadn’t found a damn thing pointing to the Unsub.

“Yes sir.”

“I'm getting dressed right now, Hotch.” Dave was still talking on his phone. “Yeah, we’ll meet you outside in 15 minutes.”

The couple got out of bed at the same time. There wasn’t much time to talk as they gathered and packed their things. Dave hated living out of suitcases but that’s exactly what he did with this job. Erin went into the bathroom to change into something presentable but also comfortable. 

They would only be on the plane for about an hour but would hit the ground running as soon as they landed in DC. She didn’t even know if the Deputy Director wanted her on the scene or in her office. Erin would just go with the team unless she was directed otherwise. This was something she wanted to see with her own eyes anyway. Not because she found crime scenes particularly awesome but because this one could be the answer she was waiting for.

“Are you sure that you have everything?” Dave asked while Erin double checked her bag.

“Yes. I only unpacked toiletries and I just gathered them from the bathroom. Here we go again, huh?”

“I'm really sorry about tonight.” He took a moment to pull her close, kissing her forehead and then her lips.

“Me too but we’ll make it up to each other. No…you'll make it up to me.”

“Yes ma'am.” Dave nodded.

“Let’s go and catch this bastard.” Erin threw her go bag on her shoulder and headed for the door.

***


End file.
